MRII to set up wastewater treatment system in Panglao

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu-based Mactan Rock Industries Inc., (MRII) gears up to help commercial establishments in Panglao island in Bohol to implement proper wastewater disposal.

MRII chairman Antonio Tompar said this initiative is further expanded following the closure of Alona beach on Panglao Island early this month.

The government banned tourists and locals from swimming along the Alona beach stretch early December due to “very high” levels of coliform.

According to Department of Tourism, the Alona Beach registered a coliform count of 16,000 most probable number (mpn).

In May this year, the Panglao Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PICCI) also helped small businesses on the island to comply with the government’s call to set up proper waste water treatment facility.

PICCI president Rommel Gonzales together with other members of the group, met with Tompar to consider the company’s proposal of setting up a shared waste treatment facility, especially to those smaller resorts and restaurants, which cannot afford to invest on a single treatment facility.

According to Tompar, while this post-Boracay closure initiative was started, there are still few establishments on the island that have yet to implement proper waste water disposal system.

“We are going to revive the joint efforts with Panglao industry players. We will help them sustain Panglao beaches’ health,” added Tompar.

Prior to President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to close Boracay island last March this year, MRII already expressed its willingness to set up waste treatment facility for small businesses on Panglao Island via Build-Own-Operate-Management concept.

Under the proposal MRII will fund the establishment of the shared facility through an environmental related financial access being offered by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). Users will only have to pay per cubic meter usage for a certain number of hears, until it will be fully paid off by the users.

Except for the huge hotel and restaurant properties on Panglao island, small businesses don’t have proper waste treatment, as it would require huge investment.

However, this initiative has yet to be accepted fully by the industry players in Panglao, until the government again made its decision to close Alone beach until it is cleared from contamination. (FREEMAN)